Bank Of Harts
by reilert79
Summary: Jennifer goes to the bank to sign some papers, and gets taken hostage. Jonathan has to save her- but can he save her from himself?
1. Bank of Harts

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer is sitting at home in the den, having a cocktail. She is impatiently waiting for her husband to come home. He called earlier and said he had a surprise for her, but wouldn't tell her what it was.

She loved surprises and always had, and couldn't wait to find out what it was.

Jonathan got home shortly before 6. He had a huge box with him, that was all wrapped.

"Ok, darling. Here is your surprise".

He leaned down and kissed her.

He made himself a cocktail while she started to open the box.

She unwrapped it, and then stood on the couch to look down inside it, because it was about the size of a refrigerator. What was inside was another box. So, she enlisted the help of Jonathan's pocket knife, and slit the box down the side. She got the carboard off, and started unwrapping the next box. This one was not as tall as she was.

"Darling, pay attention to the wrapping paper".

Max picked up some of the first paper, and cut out a piece, and put it on the coffee table. She handed him the second piece, and he did the same. The third box, 4th box, and 5th box were all about the same size. After the 5th box, all the boxes could be held in her lap.

"Darling, how long did this take you?"

"A lot of planning on my part, but Kelly wrapped it all up and put it together for you".

"Give her a raise".

She was on the 7th box now, and they were starting to feel lighter.

Finally, after 9 boxes, she was on the last one. She opened it, and found a travel brochure for a hotel chain.

"Darling, what is this?"

"Well, remember at the dinner party a few weeks ago when I bid on that trip for you?"

"Yes".

"Well, remember how you asked me to go on the trip and you said you wanted it to be just us, no distractions?"

"Yes".

"Well, it turns out that this hotel chain is for sale. And I think I want to buy it. However, I want to really see it before I do. So, I figured since we already have a vacation package, we can just fly down to Petit St. Vincent, and stay a week and see how well they treat me and you, and we can see what the hotel is like from a customer's perspective. And then, when I offer to buy it, I will know if they are snowing me or not".

"So when are we going?"

"How does Midnight sound?"

She squealed, and jumped up and kissed him. She ran upstairs to start packing.

He came up and joined her.

They were packed in no time, it seemed like, and they had a late dinner after they were finished.

Max had made them homemade lasagna, and a salad.

"Max, are you going to be ok here for the week by yourself with just Freeway?"

"Oh sure, we will have a ball".

"Thanks for holding down the fort for us, Max".

"Sure thing, Mrs. H."

Jennifer did the dishes, and then went to change clothes. She decided to wear some yoga pants and a tank top on the flight. She could sleep in that if she wanted to, and it would be comfortable for the long flight.

Max drove them to the airport, and dropped them off.

They boarded the plane and got comfy.

As soon as the pilot turned off the seatbelt sign, they went upstairs and got in bed.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Happy vacation to us, darling".

He leaned down and kissed her.

***A week later***

Jonathan and Jennifer were back from their vacation. They had enjoyed 5 days of sun, cocktails, laying in the hammock, and walking on the beach. Their cottage was out over the water, and didn't have a television, and only had a house phone. They had also enjoyed a spa day together.

The resort had been nice, but in the end, Jonathan decided not to purchase it.

"Max, we are home".

Max and Freeway came out to the foyer. Freeway was so excited to see them.

"Hey Mr. and Mrs. H. How was your trip?"

"Wonderful! So nice and relaxing".

"Thanks for holding down the fort here, Max".

"Freeway and I really missed you guys".

Jonathan took their bags upstairs. Jennifer sat on the couch and cuddled with Freeway.

Max had made them dinner and told them it would be ready in a few minutes.

After a nice dinner out on the patio, Jonathan and Jennifer went upstairs. A storm rolled in, just as they were getting into bed.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around her and they fell asleep.

***The next morning***

They had slept late, and Max had brought them breakfast in bed.

"Darling, are you going to the office today?"

"Yes, I have a very important deal I am closing later today".

"Oh? Anything interesting?"

"Oh, I am sure you will be totally interested in it. I will tell you all about it when the time is right".

He kissed her a few times.

"What are you doing today?"

"I am starting a new article, and I am supposed to have a conference call about a new position, later. Not sure what it's about, but I guess I will find out".

"How about tonight, you and I have dinner at La Scala?"

"Perfect, darling".

He got up and showered and left for the office.

She ran on the treadmill for 5 miles, and then showered and dressed.

She was working on her article when Jonathan called her.

"Darling, can you go to the bank before they close today? I transferred a large sum of money to our personal account, and they are saying that we both need to sign the papers for it. And we also need to put those stock certificates that I left on the piano in the safety deposit box".

"Sure, darling. I can go right now".

"Have Max drive you, just in case. When you get there, Paul Watkins will personally take care of you. Thanks for doing this, darling. I love you".

"I love you too".

She got up and went and found Max.

He pulled the Bentley around, because he had to take it in to get an oil change.

"Mrs. H., I will drop you off at the bank, and then take the Bentley for the oil change, and then come back and get you".

"Perfect".

***People's bank of Los Angeles***

Max dropped Jennifer off, and headed down the street to the mechanics.

Jennifer asked to speak to their banker, Paul. He had always helped them in the past, and he and Jonathan were great friends. They had been at the orphanage together in San Francisco.

Jennifer sat down at his desk, and signed the papers. They opened the safe deposit box and she put the stock certificates in there also.

She had gathered her things and got in line with the teller, to deposit some checks into her savings. Just as she got up to the teller, she heard a click. She turned to see what was going on, and saw 2 men with ski masks.

"Nobody move, this is a robbery".

The robbers moved everyone to the couches. He had one teller give him all of the money from the drawers, and then take him into the vault.

They came out of the vault with several duffle bags and then came over to where the others were sitting.

Jennifer was comforting a young lady who was sitting next to her.

She had been observing the robbers, and figured out the taller guy was in charge.

He came over to where they were sitting, and knelt down. He opened up his backpack, and took out some rope and zip ties.

"Now, we are all going to become best friends".

He instructed the other guy to tie them up, and make them stand together in a circle.

One by one, they had their hands zip tied behind their backs, and then they were tied to the person next to them.

The last person in the circle was Paul, the banker. They tied the manager up, and then Jennifer watched in horror as Paul stepped back, and pulled out his own gun and took out his keys.

"I am going to load up the bags, and then we should be good to go".

Just then, they heard a siren.

The guy who was in charge looked at Paul.

"I thought you disconnected the alarms?"

"I did".

The manager of the bank spoke up then.

"There are silent alarms that are activated when you remove money from the vault in large quantities".

"So, what are we going to do now?"

"We will need something as leverage".

Paul looked straight at Jennifer.

"I think we have the perfect leverage item".

He came around and untied her from the two people on either side of her and helped her up.

Paul looked at the other two robbers.

"This is perfect. Her husband is loaded and will be just the person to finance our little getaway".

Jennifer was terrified.

They took her over to the window, and peered through the blinds.

"Cops are everywhere, man. They are setting up".

"It's ok. We are going to call her husband, and let him know we have his wife. If he wants her back, he will cooperate".

They looked up the number for Hart Industries, and called it. Paul helped Jennifer to the phone and had her sit next to it.

"Jonathan Hart, please". They put the phone on speakerphone.

"I'm sorry, he's in a meeting and asked to not be disturbed".

"This is an emergency".

"I'm sorry, sir, I am only permitted to take messages".

They hung up.

Paul looked at Jennifer.

"Does he have a private line?"

"Yes"

"Ok, I am going to free your hands, and then zip-tie them in front of you. Any tricks and you will regret it, do you understand?"

She nodded.

"What do you want me to say to him?"

"Tell him to come here, that you need him to come here right away".

She nodded.

After they freed her hands and tied them in front of her, she maneuvered the phone so that she could dial the number.

He answered right away.

"Hi darling."

Jennifer was the only one who called him on this number.

"Darling, can you come to the bank? Right away?"

"Sure, are you alright?"

"I'm alright. I just need to see you, is all."

"Is there a problem with the paperwork?"

"No, that's all fine. It's just me. I am in the bank and I just don't think I will make it without seeing you right now, here next to me".

Jonathan and Jennifer had a secret code for when they were in trouble. If they couldn't tell the other person, they always worked it into the conversation. The secret code was milkshake.

"Darling, on your way, do you think you could stop and pick up a milkshake? I have this terrible craving".

Jonathan knew she was in trouble then.

"I am on my way, I love you, and I will see you soon".

"I love you too, darling. Don't forget about the milkshake".

They hung up, and took Jennifer back to the couch. The robbers ushered the others into one of the offices.

"What are our demands from him going to be?"

"Well, we are going to make him pay us for her, and he has to help us get out of town. I am thinking he can book us a private flight, and we can be in a nice little country without extradition laws in just a matter of hours".

"Good thinking".

The phone started ringing, and one of the robbers answered the phone and put it on speaker.

"This is the police. We are all outside. Let's figure out a way to end this peacefully".

"We don't want to talk to you. There is only one person we are willing to talk to".

"Who is that?"

"Jonathan Hart".

***Jonathan's limo***

Jonathan was driving like crazy to get to the bank. He parked as close as he could, and got out.

Lt. Grey was standing near the front barricade.

"They've got Jennifer. They had her call me".

"That makes sense. They just told us that you are the only one they will talk to".

Jonathan grabbed the bull horn and started shouting.

"This is Jonathan Hart. I am about to call the bank. Please answer".

He grabbed the phone and dialed the number.

One of the robbers answered.

"Hello Mr. Hart. Just the person we need to talk to".

"First things first, do you have my wife in there?"

"Yes, we do".

"Is she alright?"

"For now".

"If you hurt one hair on her head…"

"Now, Mr. Hart, you aren't really in a place to make threats against us."

"It wasn't a threat. It was a promise".

"If you want to see her alive again, then you will need to meet our demands".

"And they are?"

"We want 6 million dollars in cash. And we want you to figure out how to get us on a plane that will take us out of the country".

"I can arrange for both of those things, but I have some conditions. First, I want you to release the other hostages. If it's Jennifer you want, then there's no sense in holding the others. And second, I will arrange for my plane to take you wherever you want, provided you let me see Jennifer".

"Ok, but you only get 10 seconds. Out front, and make the cops back up".

"You got it".

They hung up.

Lt. Grey called the cops back.

"No shooting unless I say so".

The robbers opened the door and outstepped Jennifer.

She locked eyes with Jonathan.

"I'm alright. I love you".

"I love you too". He reached forward and their hands almost touched.

"That's enough, back inside".

"I will have the money for you in an hour".

"Call us back when you do. One hour".

Jonathan ran over to the phone, and called the house. No answer.

He turned to Lt. Grey.

"I have the cash at the house in our vault. I will need some officers to go with me to retrieve it".

"We have dummy money that we can give them. That might work".

He nodded.

The police took him around the corner from the bank, and started getting the dummy money ready.

After about 40 minutes, the longest 40 minutes of Jonathan's life, they went back to the barricade with several briefcases and called the bank.

Jennifer was sitting on the couch. She was terrified but so far, they hadn't hurt her or anyone else.

She knew Jonathan would come through, he always does. More than anything, she just wanted this to be over with.

She heard the phone ring, and knew it was Jonathan calling back.

"I have the money. Now, I want you to release the other hostages".

"We are going to look through the window, and you can show us the money. Then we will release the others".

Jonathan held up the briefcases and opened them to reveal the money.

They started cutting the hostages loose and releasing them one by one.

As soon as the manager had been freed, he ran straight to the police.

"Paul Watkins is one of them".

It was like a punch in the gut to Jonathan. He couldn't believe it. Paul was the one who had told him that Jennifer needed to come sign the paperwork as well.

He had been set up and he didn't like it.

He called the bank again, and the robber answered.

"Ok, so you can have my plane, but I need to see Jennifer, and she doesn't go with you."

"How are we going to get there?"

"Well, I have a car here, you can take it to the airport, and I will call and tell them to let you board".

Max drove up then in the Bentley.

"That's not going to work, Mr. Hart."

"Ok fine. I can have my chauffeur drive you to the airport and I will go along so that I can personally tell my pilot to allow you to board, how is that?"

"Better. You gotta get the cops to back away. I don't want any tricks as we go to the car".

"Deal. But only if I can see my wife".

"You will see her as she gets into the car. You and Paul are going to ride in one car, and your chauffeur and Jennifer and the other robbers are going in the other. No exceptions".

"Ok. Both cars are ready whenever you are".

He filled Max in on what was happening.

"Don't worry, Mr. H. I will take care of her".

"Thanks Max".

Jennifer came out first, with the robbers on either side of her. She looked at Jonathan and nodded, to indicate she was ok. She blew him a kiss, and they led her to the car with Max.

Paul came out next, and went to Jonathan.

"No tricks, just drive me to the airport"

He nodded.

***LAX***

Max had introduced himself to everyone in the car and asked them where they were headed.

"We are going to LAX, to Mr. Hart's private plane".

Jennifer was in the backseat, next to one of the robbers.

Max drove them to the tarmac.

Jonathan and Paul had a quiet ride behind them. He didn't have anything to say to someone who had betrayed him so deeply. He was ashamed to say he ever knew him at all.

They parked on the tarmac and got out.

The police had followed in unmarked cars.

Jonathan opened the door to the plane, and lowered the steps.

"Go ahead, check it out".

They grabbed Jennifer out of the car and insisted that she go on the plane first, so that they couldn't trick them.

She climbed up the steps and the robbers followed, and Jonathan went last.

"All the comforts of home. You tell my pilot where you want to go, and he will take you. Now, give me Jennifer, and I will tell him to start the plane".

"Not just yet. We can't just flee the country and leave behind witnesses, can we?"

Paul pulled a gun out of his waistband and pointed it at Jonathan. The other robbers pointed their guns at Jennifer.

"You know what they say, the couples who love each other, die together".

Jennifer saw an opportunity, and took it. She elbowed one guy in the stomach, and knocked the gun out of the other guys hand. They started scuffling and she managed to kick them away and get down the steps.

Jonathan and Paul were struggling over his gun. Jennifer was down on the tarmac, looking at the steps, waiting for Jonathan to come out.

Max ran to her and put his arm around her.

Just then, they heard a gunshot.


	2. Losing a Hart

***Willow Pond***

It had been 4 months, since the awful day that Jonathan had been shot.

He was only trying to save her, be her hero. He had been set up by a friend of his from the orphanage, and he had put Jennifer in harm's way. His school friend, Paul, and his two acquaintances, Chip and Dylan, had taken everyone hostage when they robbed the bank, and they used Jennifer as leverage.

It all ended on board the Hart's plane, and it ended with Jonathan and Paul struggling over a gun, and Jonathan getting shot.

She sat by him for hours at the hospital after they brought him out of surgery. She watched helplessly as he spiked a fever and was dangerously close to dying.

As soon as he woke up, 3 days after the shooting, she couldn't wait to kiss him and tell him she loved him.

He had been shot in the side, but thankfully it had missed major organs.

The police had arrested Paul and his two accomplices, and Jennifer had ridden in the ambulance with Jonathan.

As soon as he came home though, she could tell something was wrong. He was sad all the time, and rarely smiled. He hardly bothered to kiss her anymore. 2 months after he came home, he started sleeping in the guest room.

She tried spending time with him, and making his favorite dinners and doing little things for him, but he made it clear he was no longer interested in being with her. Before long, she was spending her nights in bed reading, alone.

Max found her on the patio one day, crying and staring off into the distance.

"Anything I can do, Mrs. H.?"

"I don't think so, Max. Not this time".

He nodded and went back inside.

Jonathan had also quit talking to Max as much as he used to. It was as if he just wanted to end all the relationships he had. He had stopped going to work, and he had put Stanley Frieson in charge of the company.

Jennifer was able to convince him to go to a dinner party, but it was a total disaster. They barely spoke to each other all night, and when the music started playing, Jonathan asked one of his associates to dance, and not Jennifer. She was crushed.

She went to the kitchen, called Max to come pick her up, and left the party without telling Jonathan she was leaving.

When he got home, he found that she had moved him completely out of their bedroom. She didn't know what to do anymore.

She made them an appointment for a marriage counselor and told him they had an appointment. He went, but when he realized what the appointment was, he refused to speak. He got up and left.

She called Max, and when she got home this time, she packed her things and headed to the beach house. She even took Freeway.

She left Jonathan a long note on the piano.

" _Jonathan-_

 _I don't understand how we got here, but obviously I am the only one who is interested in fixing things and since I cannot fix it alone, I guess we are stuck. If you want a divorce, fine. If you want to talk this out, Max knows where I am. I will give you once chance._

 _-Jennifer_

She cried as she drove to the beach house, but she felt like it was for the best.

This was so far from where she thought they would end up. But, it was where they were, and she was going to make the best of it.

Max called her that night and told her that he had finally come home, and read her letter and went upstairs without saying a word.

***Beach house***

Jennifer came inside the beach house, and took her bags up to the third floor. It was going to be hard to stay there, since it was such a special place for them, but she also found peace there, and that's what she needed right now.

***4 days later***

Jennifer still hadn't heard from Jonathan. She was starting to wonder if he was ever going to make a decision. She also felt that maybe, he had. Maybe for the first time, he didn't choose her.

Freeway whined a lot, especially at night. She assumed that he missed Jonathan and Max.

She held him a lot and petted him, but he still whined.

"I miss them too. Do you think they miss us?"

***Willow Pond***

Jonathan was sitting on the couch with a brandy in his hand. He was in a weird place. He was mad at himself because he felt like he had spoon-fed Jennifer to Paul. He couldn't see that he wasn't responsible, Paul was. Paul had set the whole thing up. It was a plan from the very beginning. Once he found out that Jonathan Hart was a customer of the bank, he had planned the whole thing out. His friends would rob the bank, they would tie everyone up in a circle, and he would reveal himself and leave with them after they cleaned out the vault. He was going to take Jennifer with him, since he knew that Jonathan would pay anything to get her back. And finally he was going to kill the other two, and keep it all for himself. He hadn't planned on the cops being alerted due to the vault being emptied, and he hadn't planned on Jonathan inserting himself in to the situation as far as he had. When he woke up from surgery, and found out he had missed three days, he realized that those three days were days he would never get back. He didn't mean to push Jennifer away, it just happened. And he only moved into the guest room because he felt like he was making her uncomfortable. He wanted to dance with her at the dinner party, but the other woman asked him first, and he was only trying to be polite. By the time they were done dancing, she was gone, both from the party and from him, apparently. He hated feeling this way, like no matter what he did, it wouldn't be the right move. Sometimes, he felt like he should go see a counselor, but after the way he had stormed out when Jennifer took him to one, he felt like there was no way she would ever go with him. And without her, there was no point.

He brainstormed how to get her back. He decided to send her a bouquet of her favorite flowers, with a sweet note.

He got in the car and went to the florist. He picked out the bouquet himself. He wrote the card- "Darling, please call me. We need to talk. Love, Jonathan", and then paid for it to be delivered that day, which was extra.

He headed back to Willow Pond.

About an hour later, there was a delivery for him. He told them to come on up, and he signed for it.

She had sent the flowers back with a note herself.

"Seriously? You think flowers will do it this time?"

He was disappointed, but not discouraged. He called and ordered La Scala for her, and asked them to call her and see what time she wanted it delivered. He gave them a credit card and told them to charge whatever she wanted.

About 20 minutes later, the restaurant called and said she refused delivery, and did he want it to go to another address? He said no thank you, and hung up the phone.

He decided to try one more time. He went and packed an overnight bag, and then went to their favorite greasy spoon. He ordered her favorite omelet with hash browns on the side, and then he drove them to the beach house.

He unlocked the door, and came inside. He turned the alarm off. He went and put the food in the fridge, and he smiled when he heard her footsteps coming down stairs.

He stood up from putting the food in the fridge, and was going to say "hey darling".

But instead, she conked him on the head with a vase, and he fell to the floor.

When she saw who it was, she was relieved and mad. She immediately helped him up, and got him an ice bag. She started sweeping the broken vase up off the floor.

After she had finished all of that, she came and stood in front of him.

"Would you like to explain why you are here?"

"I came here to try and talk to you".

She walked over to the telephone and picked it up.

"Alexander Graham Bell. An ingenious invention".

"You sent the flowers back and you refused dinner, I was afraid that you would hang up on me. If I was here in person, you would at least see that I put some effort in".

"Just like at the appointment the other day?"

"Jennifer, I felt trapped. And you know I don't like that".

"YOU felt trapped? How do you think I have felt these past few months?"

"I'm sorry. This hasn't been very easy on me either".

"What, you made your bed and now you can't lie in it?"

He didn't exactly know how to argue with that. It was an entirely fair and accurate statement.

He was quiet for a moment.

"Why did you send the flowers back?"

'Because you can't fix this with flowers, Jonathan."

"And you refused the dinner because?"

"I had already eaten. And I'm an independent woman, you know."

"I know. It's part of what made me fall in love with you".

"You remember that?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, lately, you've been acting like I don't exist".

He sighed. He didn't want to get into this now.

"I brought you breakfast, for tomorrow. It's in the fridge. That's what I was doing when you attacked me".

"Jonathan…you can't just gloss over the real problems here with flowers and breakfast and dinners from La Scala. And every time I try to get you to talk to me, you push me away. When I try to get you to talk with me to a professional you storm out. I come here for some peace and quiet and you break in. I am at my wit's end here, and I have just about decided that there isn't anything worth saving. If there is something worth saving, I won't be able to save it on my own. And you don't seem to be the least bit interested".

"I'm interested, Jennifer."

"You don't act like it".

She sat down at the table across from him.

"Do you realize that you pushed Max away as well? You and him had tickets to a game last week and you didn't even go. He was heartbroken. He thinks of you as a son, and you have been acting like you dumped him in a nursing home and drove away".

She got up and grabbed his ice bag and checked his head. She got him new ice and put it back on his head.

"Well, so much for you acting like you don't care about me. Do you always get your enemies ice bags after you hit them in the head with a vase?"

"You are not my enemy. You are your own worst enemy. And, I never stopped caring about you. You stopped caring about me, Jonathan".

She stood up with tears in her eyes.

"You can see yourself out".

She went upstairs and he heard her shut the door.

A few minutes later, he put the ice bag in the sink and went home.

He was going to have to resort to drastic measures. He wasn't giving up yet, even though she thought he already had.


	3. Harts in Hiding

***Willow Pond***

It had been about 4 days since Jennifer moved to the beach house. She and Jonathan hadn't spoken since he was creeping around the beach house and she hit him on the head with a vase. The conversation that followed was extremely eye opening for Jonathan, and extremely depressing for Jennifer.

She hadn't spoken to Jonathan, but she had spoken to Max every day. He told her was determined to fix things.

Jonathan was at the house when he got a phone call. Lt. Grey was coming to see them. He had Max use the other line and call Jennifer and tell her that Lt. Grey needed to see her at Willow Pond right away.

"She said she's on her way, Mr. H. She also said this better not be a trick".

He chuckled a little bit. She was always too smart for her own good.

He was excited to see her, actually. He was hoping that he could convince her to have dinner with him after Lt. Grey left.

Jennifer arrived about 20 minutes later. She was absolutely breath taking. She had on a deep green colored wrap top, black capris and some silver flip flops.

He opened the door for her, and held it as she came inside.

She went to the table by the stairs and put her purse down.

He came up behind her and kissed her cheek.

"I'm glad you came, Jennifer".

She turned back towards him slightly.

"Thanks".

She went and sat on the couch. She had brought Freeway, so he could see Max.

Max came in and she got up and hugged him.

"Hiya Max".

"Hey there, Mrs. H. You look gorgeous today".

"Thanks Max".

Jonathan had come and sat by her.

"Ok Jonathan, what gives?"

"I don't know, honestly. Lt. Grey said he wanted to come by and speak with both of us, so I had Max call you and ask you to come over".

"I see. And he didn't say why he wanted to speak with us?"

"No. He said it had to be in person. I offered to come to the station, and he said no, it would be best if he came here".

They were quiet for a few minutes. Jonathan looked at her.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Some water would be nice, thank you".

He got up and got her some water. He made sure to use her favorite glass and crushed ice, just like she liked it. He even got her spring water, not tap. Jennifer hated tap water.

He brought it to her.

"Spring water, not tap. Crushed ice, not cubed. And in your favorite glass".

She was touched. "You remembered".

"I did."

The gate buzzed and Max let Lt. Grey in. He opened the door for them and showed them in.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Hart. I came here to tell you that the trial for Paul, Chip and Dylan will be next week. However, Paul has made some statements that are concerning. So, because of that, we are going to put you two in protective custody. It cannot be here, because he knows that you live here. It needs to be somewhere he doesn't know that you own".

"We have a beach house, in Malibu."

"That might work".

"Wait a minute. What is this going to entail?"

"You two will live there, and have police outside your home at all times."

"Can we go places?"

"It's not recommended".

She nodded.

They went over the details and then Lt. Grey said he would put his men on the beach house right away. Jonathan ran upstairs to pack his clothes. He looked at Jennifer as he was going up the stairs.

"Please wait for me before you leave".

She nodded.

She gathered up Freeway, and Max said he was going to go to Vegas.

"If you guys need me, I am just a phone call away".

She nodded.

Jonathan had come down pretty quickly. He grabbed a few more things from the house, and then they decided to go in Jennifer's Porsche.

"Secure the house, would you Max?"

"Sure thing, Mr. and Mrs. H."

They got in the car and headed to the beach house. It was a very quiet ride.

***Beach house***

They pulled up into the garage and parked. Jennifer had told herself she was going to be civil, but just because they were being forced to spend a week together, that didn't mean things had changed between them.

She was trying not to be angry with him, which was hard because he had really hurt her.

She decided to work on an article when they got to the beach house. She went upstairs and changed clothes, and then came back downstairs and took one end of the couch. She had a little moveable desk that allowed her to have her laptop right in front of her.

She worked on her article for hours, barely noticing what he was doing.

He sat on the other end of the couch, and tried to read. He had a hard time focusing on the words though, because he was staring at her.

" _Gosh she is so beautiful…"_

He turned the TV on, and turned the volume down low so that he wouldn't disturb her. But he was still staring at her.

She was trying to focus on her article. But in reality, she had written the same line 4 times.

She could feel him watching her. She wanted to just grab him and kiss him, but she couldn't. They were past that point.

She wanted to look over at him, but she couldn't, because he was looking at her and he would see it. This was so strange, but she reminded herself that she didn't drive them to this point, he did.

She had done all that she could do to try and fix things between them, and he had rebuffed each attempt that she made. Of course, once she stops, that's when he wants to join in. It was maddening.

She meant to ask Lt. Grey if they were going to have to testify. She made a note to herself that she needed to call him the next day and ask.

She put her article away for a little bit, and went over to the fridge.

She decided to make grilled chicken for dinner. They had a grill on the balcony.

"Is grilled chicken ok for dinner?"

"Sure. Can I help?"

"If you'd like".

He got up and went to the kitchen to join her.

"What do you want with the grilled chicken?"

"How about that brown rice that you make?"

"Ok."

She got out the ingredients for it, and assembled it.

"This takes an hour to bake, so why don't you marinate the chicken, and we can set the timer for that, and then when it goes off, I will put the rice in?"

"Ok".

He marinated the chicken and then put it in the fridge.

"Would you like a cocktail?"

"That sounds nice".

He made her usual, a double vodka martini, straight up, no olives, with a twist.

He made himself a Manhattan, and they took their cocktails out onto the terrace.

The sun was setting, and that was Jennifer's favorite time of day.

They were quiet for a little bit. Jonathan finally decided to break the ice.

"What is your article about?"

"The epidemic of HIV and people who are trying to erase the stigma of HIV."

"That sounds interesting".

She nodded.

" _This is so awkward…why can't we just talk to each other?"_

"Have you decided when you are going back to the office?"

"Well, I was going to go back this week, but then we got put here".

She didn't know how to respond to that, so she just stayed quiet.

A few minutes later, the timer went off, so she went to the kitchen, leaving him on the balcony.

He got up and went inside to help her.

"Can I help?"

" _If you touch me, I will lose my mind…"_

"Sure. Why don't you set the table?"

"Do you really think that's a good idea?"

She turned to face him.

"We are going to have to eat on plates, Jonathan".

"That's not what I mean".

"Well, explain please".

"Well, every time you ask me to set the table, you come back and tell me I did it wrong. And we are actually getting along right now, and I was only trying to avoid a fight".

"I appreciate that. I promise I won't say anything. Just set the table, please".

"Sure".

He grabbed them knives and forks, and plates and napkins and set the table.

He made sure to do it correctly. He got them glasses of water after he was finished.

He went and grilled the chicken, and she got everything else ready.

They had a nice dinner, and then he insisted on cleaning up since she had done the cooking.

She went and took a hot bath, and then came back downstairs to work on her article some more.

He was trying to read again, but it wasn't working.

He finally gave up and locked all the doors and then went upstairs.

She worked for another hour or so, and then went upstairs herself.

She was shocked to find that he had taken one of the bedrooms on the second floor.

She walked past his room, and saw that he had fallen asleep, with his clothes on. She went and gently took his shoes off, and put his book on the nightstand. She covered him with a blanket, and while she was able to resist the urge to kiss him, she did brush his hair from his forehead for a bit.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"Goodnight. I love you", and then tiptoed out of the room.

She went up to her room, and tried to get some sleep.

***The next morning***

She woke up and found him still sleeping. She went downstairs and started making breakfast. She decided to make them eggs, bacon, and hash browns. She made some coffee, and took her breakfast out to the balcony.

He had smelled the bacon cooking, and woke up. He realized he had fallen asleep in his clothes, so he changed clothes and came downstairs.

She was on the balcony, listening to music.

The lyrics of the song she was listening to crushed him.

' _Hey there, Mr. Tin man/You don't know how lucky you are/You shouldn't spend your whole life wishing/for something bound to fall apart_

 _Every time you're feeling empty/better thank your lucky stars/If you ever felt one breaking/You'd never want a heart_

 _Hey there Mr. Tin Man/You don't know how lucky you are/I've been on the road that you're on/It didn't get me very far_

 _You ain't missing nothing/'Cause love is so damn hard/Take it from me darlin', you don't want a heart_

 _Hey there Mr. Tin Man/Glad we talked this out/You can take mine if you want it/ It's in pieces now_

 _By the way there, Mr. Tin Man/If you don't mind the scars/You give me your armor, and you can have my heart"._ -Miranda Lambert

He realized now that he hadn't just pushed her away and ignored her. He had broken her heart and made her feel unlovable. The one thing he had sworn to her recently that she had never been, and he had caused it.

He grabbed the plate she had made for him and joined her on the balcony.

He thought he saw her wipe tears from her eyes, but he wasn't sure.

"Morning. Thanks for making breakfast".

"Morning, and your welcome. Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, please".

She got up and got him a cup and brought it back to him.

"Did you sleep ok?"

She nodded. "And so did you. You were passed out before I was".

He thought for a minute.

"Did you cover me with the blanket?"

She nodded. "I didn't want you to be cold".

"Thanks".

Neither of them were ready to acknowledge the baby steps they were taking. But they were both so glad they were taking them.

***Later that day***

The police watching them had allowed them to make a grocery store run, and Jonathan insisted on coming with Jennifer.

They were followed in an unmarked car, and he watched them safely from a distance the whole time they were in the store.

They stocked up on everything, just to be safe. He helped her unload and put away the groceries when they got back.

"This afternoon, why don't we take a walk on the beach?"

"Will they let us?"

"Can't hurt to ask".

Jonathan went to ask, and came back a few minutes later.

"They said no. Sorry, I tried".

"Thanks for trying".

She sat down and started working on her article some more, and he sat down at the other end of the couch and turned the TV on.

There was a storm brewing, and she could feel it coming. She started getting a migraine.

She got up and took one of her pills and drank a glass of water, but it didn't help.

She tried to lay down, but that just made it worse.

He could see she was really in pain.

He got up and got her a hot wash cloth and brought it to her. She put it on the back of her neck, and it helped some.

He sat behind her and started rubbing her shoulders and getting the knots out.

He could feel how tense she was, and he realized that he probably caused most of it.

After a few minutes of him rubbing her shoulders, he realized she was kind of limp.

"Is this helping?"

"Yes, actually."

He kept at it for another ten minutes.

"How do you feel now?"

"Better. Thank you".

They had always had a routine when Jennifer got a migraine. Hot towel for her neck, shoulder massage from him, and then a light back scratch.

"Do you want the next step?"

"Yes, if you don't mind".

"Of course I don't mind".

He started giving her a back scratch, but about halfway through it, she stood up.

"I think I'm going to go lay down. Thanks for helping".

She bolted up the steps.

She hoped his feelings weren't hurt, because she loved what he did for her. It was just that if he touched her for one more second, she would be all over him. That's not how she wanted to fix their issues.

She laid down on the bed, and fell asleep pretty easily, which was unusual for her. She usually couldn't sleep in the day.

After about an hour, he snuck upstairs and covered her with a blanket. He leaned down and lightly kissed her on the forehead and then went back downstairs.

She slept till way past dinner. He tried to wait till she woke up, but he was starving. He finally popped a frozen lasagna in the oven, and made a salad. She came downstairs about 10 minutes before it was ready.

"Feeling better?"

"Much".

He made her a spring water with crushed ice, and then he got the lasagna out of the oven. He took care of everything for dinner for them, and wouldn't let her help.

As soon as he sat down, the power went out.

"I got this, don't move".

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter, and lit the candles on the table.

He got up and walked to the sliding glass door and cracked it.

They ate their dinner by candle light.

"Remember our first candle light dinner?'

"I do. It was on a stormy night a lot like this".

"It was our 4th date, if I recall correctly".

"Yes, you recall correctly".

"If you don't mind me saying so, you were just as lovely then as you are now".

"I don't mind, thank you".

They ate their dinner and she moved the candles to the counter.

She did the dishes by candle light, and just as she finished, Jonathan found a radio that took batteries.

He got it working and found an easy listening station.

"Care to dance?"

"No thanks".

"Are you sure? You love to dance with me".

"Did. I did love to dance with you".

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you can't just swoop in here and think that our issues can be solved by dancing or giving me a massage or you fixing dinner. It doesn't work that way. You have to try and put in the effort".

"Jennifer, I am really trying here. Can't you see that?"

"I see you trying, but you aren't getting it. All these months, you could have been doing this and it would have worked."

"Tell me what you want me to do, and I will do it".

"I can't. I need you to know it on your own".

"Jennifer-"

"Look, Jonathan. It's hard being around you and not wanting things to be the way they used to be. But you hurt me, you pushed me away. You made me feel unlovable, and you swore to me that I had never been unlovable. That was a hard realization to come to, that you thought of me as unlovable. So, if you and I are going to get through this confinement period, it's best if we just keep our distance, ok?"

"I don't think you are unlovable. I am sorry I made you feel that way, but I swear, I don't think that you are unlovable".

She nodded.

"I'm going to bed. Good night".

She went to the third floor and got ready for bed.

He went up after her, and heard her crying. He went to her room to see if he could comfort her and try and get her to talk to him.

She was in the bathroom.

He came up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I will never forgive myself for hurting you like this. But, I promise you, it was about me, never about you. I love you, you know that".

"Then why did you push me away?"

"Because I was mad. Mad at myself and I didn't want to deal with it, so I blocked everyone and everything out".

"Mad at yourself for what?"

"For not protecting you from Paul. He set me up and I practically spoon fed you to him."

"Have I once said that any of that was your fault?"

"No, you haven't. Believe me, I said it enough in my head for the both of us".

"It wasn't your fault, and I never blamed you."

"I know that now."

"Good. It's about damn time!"

They didn't say anything for a minute or two, and then he just opened his arms and enveloped her. It was the first time he had touched her in 3 months. It was a nice hug, but they were a long way from all is forgiven.


	4. Conversations of the Hart

***Beach house***

They stayed up for hours after that, hashing things out. They talked about things, but didn't really get anywhere. They were both avoiding talking about big decisions, because they still had to be in protective custody together.

She wanted so bad for him to just grab her and kiss her like he used to. But she wasn't going to tell him that… she needed him to want to grab her and kiss her.

She finally fell asleep around 4, and slept till 11. She woke up and found that he had ordered her favorite breakfast and had it delivered.

He had kept it warm in the oven till she got up.

She had breakfast on the balcony, and drank some coffee out there after she was finished.

She was going stir crazy, and she could tell he was too.

She was in the kitchen, doing dishes when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"What if we asked the cops if we could go to the ranch today?"

"That's 5 hours from here."

"I know that. But you could ride the horses and I could ride the ATV. Or we could ride the ATV together, or ride horses together".

"I just think it's not the right time. We are probably going to have to testify when the trial starts, and we don't need to be 5 hours away from here when that happens".

She turned to face him.

"But I appreciate the thought".

She worked on her article for a few hours that afternoon, and he watched basketball on TV. He was going out of his mind with boredom, but he was managing.

He couldn't help but think that in the old days if he and Jennifer had been forced to stay in a house together, they wouldn't have left the bedroom. Now, he could barely speak to her, although they were making progress.

She got up and started doing stuff in the house, and was in the bathroom cleaning. He heard this very loud shriek, followed by "Jonathan!"

He got up and raced toward the bathroom. She popped out into the hallway.

"Are you alright?"

"Spider….in there…..I can't….."

He grabbed a magazine and rolled it up and smashed it and then disposed of it.

He was trying not to laugh, but she could see it on his face.

"You, the woman who spent 3 weeks in Kenya, living in the bush, is afraid of a spider?"

She nodded. He cracked up.

"It's not funny! I hate them, I always have".

He was trying to control his laughter, but it wasn't working.

She was getting mad.

"Jonathan!"

He pulled her into a hug. "It's ok, all the arachnids are gone".

"Thanks for getting it".

"Anytime".

She went back to cleaning and he went back to the sofa. A few hours later, they started talking about dinner.

He turned the TV off, and turned on some music. Back when they were first married, they used to cook dinner together and listen to music all the time.

He was getting something out of the fridge, and checked the date on it. He went over to the calendar, to see what the date was, and how far the expiration date was. The calendar that he liked was one that Jennifer hung as soon as they took ownership of the beach house.

He looked at the date and then realized what tomorrow was. It was going to be a really special day, and he had to figure out a plan on how to handle it.

He stepped outside and asked the cop who was watching the house if he could allow him to run an emergency errand. He agreed.

Jonathan went back inside and told Jennifer he had to run to the store.

"Do you need anything?"

"No, I think I'm ok".

"Ok, I won't be long. And Officer Treadway is right outside if you need him".

"Ok, thanks".

"I can pick up La Scala for dinner, if you'd like".

"That sounds wonderful".

"The usual?"

She nodded.

"Got it".

Jonathan and the officer left. Jennifer cleaned up a little and sat on the balcony with a cocktail.

About an hour and a half later, he was back.

"Food…"

"Want to eat on the balcony?"

"Sure".

He made himself a cocktail, and then made her a fresh one.

He brought it to her. They clinked glasses.

"Cheers".

"Cheers".

"The pasta is really fresh tonight."

"All of this is good".

After they were finished eating, she cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes. He had gone upstairs to the guest room and was on a mission.

After he figured out the mission, he came back downstairs.

She was laying on the couch.

"Want to watch a movie?"

"Sure".

She sat up and moved over so he could sit with her, and they started searching for a movie.

"How about Gone with the Wind?"

"How about Arachnophobia?"

"Jonathan!" She grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it.

"I was just kidding. Honest".

He moved and put one leg going along the couch, and invited her to lay against him.

She hesitated, but then agreed. He covered them with a blanket. They finally selected Barefoot in the Park. Jennifer was asleep within about 30 minutes. His leg was going numb, and he was terribly uncomfortable, but she was so angelic as she was sleeping that he just let it go, and decided to lay there like that until she woke up on her own.

He shoved a pillow behind his back, and reached up and turned out the light. They slept like that all night.

***The next morning***

She finally woke up around 4:30 a.m. She was surprised to find him just laying there, like he hadn't tried to move her.

She sat up, and gingerly got off the couch. She recovered him with the blanket and took his shoes off. She leaned down and lightly kissed him, and then headed to bed.

It was stormy out, so she was able to sleep till around 9.

She woke up to him bringing her breakfast in bed.

"Jonathan, you didn't have to do this".

"I wanted to".

"Well, thank you". He had made all of her favorites, whole wheat toast, 3 min boiled egg, sliced fruit and fresh squeezed juice.

He had even put a fresh flower on the tray.

He sat on the bed next to her while she ate, and he started asking her about her article.

"Are you close to being finished?"

"Yes, I think so".

"Any ideas what your next article will be on?"

"I have been thinking about that, actually. I think I want to do something on philanthropists and maybe spotlight some causes that people aren't aware of. But that's as far as I've gotten".

"That sounds interesting".

"I thought so. We shall see, though, as soon as I start the research".

After she was finished, he took the tray downstairs and cleaned up the dishes.

She took a shower and got dressed and came downstairs.

She was so into her article, she didn't notice that he taken down the calendar. She finally finished the article around 1, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he had made them lunch. Once again, it was her favorite go-to lunch- grilled chicken salad with honey Dijon dressing.

"Thanks. This looks great".

She and Jonathan ate at the table, since it was raining outside. As soon as they were done, he cleared the table and she went to the fridge to start figuring out dinner.

"Do you want oven baked steak, or soup and grilled cheese?"

"Neither. Dinner has already been arranged".

"Jonathan, you didn't have to do that. I can cook some things, you know".

"I know. And I love it when you do. But tonight, I am cooking. You have your article, and I don't have anything, so just humor me, ok?"

She nodded.

She went to the couch and started her next article, and turned on the old movie channel.

He got a phone call from Lt. Grey.

They talked about 20 minutes and then hung up.

"Jennifer, that was Lt. Grey. They are going to have us testify day after tomorrow. Police escort to and from the courthouse, and police protection the entire time we are there. He said the prosecutor wants to put us on the stand last and then send it to the jury, and then as soon as there is a verdict, we can be released from protective custody".

"I am so ready".

"I'm not".

She looked at him incredulously.

"You mean you like being stuck here like a prisoner?"

"It definitely has its advantages".

"Like what?"

"Spending time with you".

"You mean you are enjoying this?"

"Well yeah, aren't you?"

"Now that we are getting along, yes. But in the beginning, I was a little irritated at the thought of you and me being locked in here and fighting the whole time".

"Darling, when two people love each other like you and I do, anything is possible". He kissed the side of her face and went upstairs.

She curled up on the couch and took a nap. He woke her up around 6, and she was amazed.

He had candles lit, the table was set, he had ordered her favorite sushi, and he had made her a fresh martini. He had music playing, and while she couldn't place what was different, she could tell the furniture had been rearranged somehow.

He was lightly shaking her to wake her up.

"Darling, it's dinner time. If you don't wake up now, you will miss it".

"I'm awake. Let me help".

"It's all done".

Before she could protest, he took her hand and led her to the table.

They clinked glasses and said "Cheers, and then began eating. After they were finished, he pulled out a gift bag and handed it to her.

"What's all this?"

"Well, open it".

She found the card inside and read it. It was full of sweet things and he had written "I still remember".

She kept digging and pulled out a can of bug spray, especially for spiders, with a red bow on it.

She started laughing. "I needed this".

"keep going".

She pulled more paper out, and found a box at the bottom.

She grabbed it and opened it. It was a Pandora bracelet, the kind that you put charms on. There were a few charms in there already. One was in the shape of the state of Maryland, and another was in the shape of the state of California. There was a charm with an H on it, and one of Big Ben from London. There were a few other ones that were just fun, like a pink one because he knew she loved pink, and a typewriter one, because she was a journalist, and a dog one for Freeway.

"It's beautiful. But, it's not my birthday, or our anniversary, so what is the occasion?"

"Well, on this day, 12 years ago, I was in London to make a business deal, and this broad was hounding me every 10 minutes to give her an interview so I went to the bar at the Ritz to escape her, and without realizing it, I wound up taking her to dinner and spent the next 24 hours running from gunmen and trying to prove she had murdered her boss, before finally realizing that I was in love with her and asking her to marry me".

"You forgot the part about having her arrested in a foreign country, and leaving her there to rot".

"That too".

She chuckled.

"There was one part of that 24 hours that I enjoyed immensely."

"What was that?"

He stood up, took her hand and led her over to the center of the den.

They started to dance.

"Ahh, yes. I enjoyed this part too".

They shared a dance or two.

She looked up at him.

"There was a time when you and I danced every single day. And as recently as last week, I thought we would never dance again".

"Darling, I take full responsibility for all of this crap that we are in. I pushed you away because I was mad at myself for not protecting you. I was telling myself that if I didn't protect you, then you didn't need me, and I realize now that wasn't the case. You said in the note on the piano that it was up to me what happens in our marriage, but since this was my fault, I will leave it up to you. If you want a divorce, I won't fight it, but I am telling you right now, you are the only woman for me."

"Jonathan, I don't want a divorce. I just wanted you to want to be with me. You moved out of our bedroom."

"Because I didn't want to make you uncomfortable".

"I wasn't uncomfortable, I was hurt".

"Because of me".

"Well, yes, because of you. But we could have worked it out".

"I suppose we should have talked about it".

"You mean, at the counselor's appointment that you walked out of?"

"I should have stayed for that, I'm sorry."

"Why did you move out of our room?"

"Well, I couldn't give you what you needed, and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Don't you see I was more comfortable with you than without you?"

"Yes, I get that now".

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I just have one question, and whatever you answer, I will accept it 100%".

"What?"

"Is it too late for us to fix it?"

"I don't think so, if we really give it a try".

"Good". He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. It was the first time she had felt wanted in months.

They ended up on the couch making out for a few hours and snuggling.

She was laying on his chest, and he was lightly scratching her back.

"You know, I really missed you".

"I missed you too, I just didn't know how to say it".

"Am I really that hard to talk to?"

She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Darling, this wasn't about you doing anything wrong. It was me, my pride that did this. Not you".

She nodded.

He put his arm around her and tried to comfort her.

"So is that it, we are just back to normal?"

"Do you want to be?"

"Yes, but darling, we are constantly doing something dangerous or dealing with someone dangerous, or being chased by someone dangerous. And this isn't the first time that I was taken hostage and you had to fight for me. All those other times, you didn't react like this. Why is this time different?"

"It just is. You have to trust me, I can't tell you what happened, but it really is different".

"I know it's different. I just want to know why".

"Remember when he and I were on the plane and we were struggling?"

"Yes".

"Just before the gun went off, he said something to me that caught me off guard. I stopped struggling and he got the upper hand and shot me".

"What did he say?"

"He said that he was going to come back for you one day, and I would lose you to him. I knew he was just trying to make me mad, but it unnerved me, and instead of fighting him harder, I gave up. I got shot, and I almost lost you as a result".

"But you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm here with you, not with him. You could leave and be gone forever and I wouldn't be with him. You are the one I love, and I told myself when you moved to the guestroom that I was going to love you anyways, regardless of whether or not you loved me back".

"I never stopped loving you, darling. I stopped loving myself."

"I understand that".

She snuggled with him a little bit, and then he sat her up.

"Forgive me babe?"

She nodded.

She kissed him.

He picked her up and carried her upstairs. It was the first time they had been together in months, and it was magical.


	5. Verdict of the Hart

***LA Courthouse***

Jonathan and Jennifer had barely stopped touching each other since they stopped fighting and reclaimed their marriage. It had been two days of great sex, and acting like newlyweds.

Lt. Grey had called and said they would need to be ready to leave for court by 8:30.

They were ready and waiting.

There was a crowd of reporters outside the courthouse, and the police had to lead them through it. They held hands as they walked up the steps and inside.

The D.A. met with them and explained that Jennifer would testify first. Jonathan couldn't be in the courtroom while she did, because he was going second.

The D.A. called her to the stand and the bailiff showed her in. She took the oath, and sat on the witness stand.

She answered the questions honestly and elegantly, and told the whole story from beginning to end. They had brought in dummies to simulate the hostages. She pointed out where Paul was in the hostage circle, and she tried to show them how they were tied up together. She testified that Paul stood up just as it was his turn to be tied to the others and how he high-fived the other two accomplices.

The defense attorney asked her questions mostly about the events that happened on the plane. They were trying to point out that she wasn't on the plane and couldn't know what happened.

She thought about her answer.

"No, I wasn't on the plane the whole time. But my husband was, and I believe him".

"Mrs. Hart, have you ever been taken hostage before?"

"Yes".

"Have you ever been attacked, physically?"

"Yes"

"Did this experience resemble either of those experiences?"

"In some ways yes, in some ways no".

"Please explain".

"Well, he didn't physically attack me, but the thought did cross my mind of whether or not I would ever see my husband again. And he made threats of taking me with him in the plane and dropping me out over the ocean, if Jonathan didn't cooperate. That was a little unnerving, just as learning that he had researched us and planned this out."

"No further questions".

She was excused from the witness stand, and she walked down the steps and out of the courtroom.

They called him next, and he testified about how he got the phone call, how he tried to negotiate, about how once he knew that they weren't going to release Jennifer till they got their money from him, he talked them into letting the other hostages go. The defense wasn't able to dispute his testimony, so they didn't have any questions for him.

He joined Jennifer in the hallway right afterwards.

She embraced him.

They had to wait there till they spoke to the D.A. again, and found out if they could go home.

He came out around 30 minutes later, and told them that the jury had just been handed the case.

"We can go grab a bite to eat downstairs, we need to stay in the building in case they come back with a verdict. The judge will dismiss us around 4, if they haven't".

About an hour later, the jury indicated they had a verdict and they were ready to render it.

The DA explained to Jennifer and Jonathan that the jury had several options to consider. One was obviously guilty or not guilty on each count, but they also had to consider whether or not they were going to award damages to each of the hostages.

"But I didn't ask for any".

"I know. You didn't have to. They have the power to award them regardless".

She nodded.

They took their seats in the courtroom.

The judge allowed the jury to read their verdicts. Guilty on all counts, for all three defendants.

"Now for the damages".

"The jury awards the bank employees $75,000 each for pain and suffering. The jury further awards Mr. Jonathan Hart $250,000 pain and suffering and hospital bills. The jury also awards Jennifer Hart $400,000 pain, suffering and mental anguish".

Jonathan leaned over and kissed Jennifer on the side of her head, and held her close.

The jury had recommended what the prosecution was asking for as far as sentencing. The judge agreed and sentenced Paul to 60 years in prison, no parole. He sentenced Chip and Dylan to 25 years in prison, with a chance for parole.

The judge excused everyone to leave and they took the defendants away.

It was finally over.

They went downstairs and got their checks from the clerk, and then headed home.

Lt. Grey had officially released them from protective custody.

They headed to the beach house to pack their things.

***Beach house***

They came in and Jennifer immediately went upstairs to change clothes and pack her suitcase.

She turned on some music and she was moving around like she was on steroids. She was so excited to get to go back home.

First thing she did was strip the bed and put it in the washing machine. She would put new sheets on after they were packed.

Jonathan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I am so glad to be going home with you darling, but I am going to miss this place".

"I am going to miss it too. It's very peaceful and intimate here".

She sat on the bed and started packing.

She went into the bathroom to get her hygiene stuff.

He quickly took their suitcases off the bed. He went into the bathroom and picked her up.

"Jonathan, what are you doing?"

He carried her to the bed.

They made love for a couple hours and then finished packing and headed home to Willow Pond.

***Willow Pond***

Jonathan loaded up the car with their suitcases. He helped Jennifer load up the groceries and they headed out.

He called Max along the way, in Vegas.

"Trial is over, we are headed home. Both of us".

"That's great, Mr. H. Tell Freeway I will see him tomorrow".

"He will be thrilled".

They pulled up to Willow Pond, and unloaded the car.

Jennifer went and put the groceries away, and then went upstairs to unpack.

He was up there doing the same thing.

She put fresh sheets on the bed, and sprayed some air freshener around to liven up the room.

She was standing next to the bed. He sat down on the mattress, and pulled her to him.

She smiled at him and put her hands on his shoulders.

He pulled her closer as he rolled her so that she landed on her back and he was above her.

"Welcome home darling".

"Welcome home sailor".


End file.
